Tea-strainer.



T. W. JOHNSON.

TEA STRAINER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,1912.

1 ,O53,823, Patented Feb. 18, 191 3.

NVfNTOR I /I A Home way/J ywba UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS w; JOHNSON,

HALF T0 ANDREW or nonrn ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, nssrenon or ONE- J. -NEUSCHUEZ, or *noarn A'ITLEBQRO, 'MASSACI-IUSETTS.

' TEA-STRAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 191-3.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS '\V.- J onnson, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Attleboro, in the county of 'Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Im rovement in Tea- Strainers, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in tea strainers, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a strainer that hasan automatic drip cup attachment, whereby when the strainer occupies its normal position, in which it may be placed on a support or the like, the cup is in position to receive the drlppings from the strainer, and when the device is given a partial turn the drip.cup will be moved away from the strainer so as not to interfere with the use thereof, the cup being automatically restored to position to receive the strainer drippings, when the device is turned back to normal position.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the position the parts occupy when in normal position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 1s a top plan view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a top plan view showingthe device in position for straining.

n proceeding in accordance with the present invention, a frame or stand is employed which consists of oppositely disposed forked-shaped upper and lower parts 1 and 2 respectively, the forked lower part providing legs, which are bifurcated at their lower ends, the furcations being bent in opposite directions .to form feet 3, which act to support the structure. A handle 4 is connected to the frame between its ends to allow of manual holding and manipulation of the device, so that same may not only be transported, but also operated to assume its straining position. A Strainer proper 5 is provided in the forked upper part 1 and extending into openings provided therefor in the side wall of the strainer. The legs of the frame also have pintl'es 7 which are located above the feet 3. and extend into key-hole shaped openings 8 that are formed in the side of the drip cup 9. The purpose of having key-hole shaped openings is that when the device is raised up from the su port, the drip cup, will, by virtue oft e action of gravity, drop to cause the round upper portions of the openings 8 to receive 'the'pintles 7 thereby'allowing-the cup'to have pivotal movement, and when the device'is' placed on a support, such as a table, the drip cup 9 will be moved upwardly to cause the pintles 8 to enter the contracted rectangular lower portions of the openings 8, and since the pintles' 7 are of rectangular cross-section they will conformably engage in said lower portions of openings 8 and assist in holding the drip cup firmly seated.

In use when the parts occupy the position depicted in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cup 9 occupies a position where it catches all of the drippings from the strainer, and when the device is raised by means ofthe handle a and the latter is moved through an arc of 90 to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the cup and strainer will automatically move about their pivots to the positions shown in said figure in which, it Will be noted, that the cup is disposed to one side of the strainer, permitting free and unrestricted use of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent;

1 In a tea strainer, a frame consisting of o positely disposed upper and'lower forkeds aped parts, a handle at right angles to the frame connected thereto, a strainer proper pivoted in the upper forks of the frame, the lower forks providing legs for the frame, which legs are bifurcated and the furcations turned outwardly in oppm site directions to form supporting feet for the frame, and a drip cup pivoted between the legs and having key-hole shaped slots to receive the pivots.

2. Ina tea strainer, a vertical stand, a strainer proper pivoted to the top of the stand and a drip cup for said strainer proper pivoted to the lower end ofthe stand and underlying said strainer proper when the stand is in vertical position, said cup, when the stand is given a part turn, occupying a positi'on'to one side of the strainer proper.

3. A tea strainer including'a supportin frame, a strainer proper pivoted to sai frame and a drip cup pivoted to Said frame so that in one position of the frame the drip cup underlies the strainer and in another position the drip cup is disposedto one side of the strainer.

Q masses 4:. A tea strainer including a frame, a 6. A. teast-rainer including a frame havstrainer proper and a drip cup pivoted to inga pivoted strainer proper and a pivoted said frame at opposite ends thereof, and a and vertically movable drip cup. handle connected to the frame and disposed In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 between the strainer and cup. I name to this specification in the presence of 15 '5. A. tea strainer includinga frame havtwo subscribing Witnesses. ing supporting feet atone end, a drip cup THOMAS W; JOHNSON. pivoted to the frame above the feet, and a Witnesses: strainer proper pivoted to the upper end of ADA E. HAGERTY,

10 the frame. J Q A. MILLER. 

